Sunday, July 03, 2005

Gerrard Winstanley

A Quote from the founder of the 'True Levellers' (or 'Diggers') in his pamphlet A Declaration from the Poor Oppressed People of England, 1649
"The power of enclosing land and owning property was brought into the creation by your ancestors by the sword; which first did murder their fellow creatures, men, and after plunder or steal away their land, and left this land successively to you, their children. And therefore, though you did not kill or thieve, yet you hold that cursed thing in your hand by the power of the sword; and so you justify the wicked deeds of your fathers, and that sin of your fathers shall be visited upon the head of you and your children to the third and fourth generation, and longer too, till your bloody and thieving power be rooted out of the land."

1 comment:

Admin said...

And that was more than 300 years before Thatcher introduced 'right-to-buy'!